The ski brake which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,060, has, compared with conventional ski brakes, great advantages with respect to the simple and effective pivoting of the individual braking mandrels from the braking position into the fully retracted position and vice versa. It, however, requires, aside from the spring (erecting spring) which is needed for pivoting the entire braking mechanism to the braking position, additional springs which bias the individual braking mandrels. The arrangement of such separate springs is, due to the lack of space which in ski brakes exists particularly in the elevational direction, not only problematic, at times not even possible. However, for a satisfactory functioning, the existence of additional operating springs is preferable for the satisfactory operation of the braking mandrels. Tests have shown that under certain snow conditions, in particular in the case of powdery snow, the amounts of snow which accumulate on the sides of the ski can act against an exact pivoting of the individual braking mandrels so that the braking effect fully starts only after an undesired delay.
The object of the invention is to provide a ski brake which is similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,060, and in application Ser. No. 105,069, filed Dec. 19, 1979, but utilizable to its full extent in all snow conditions.
The objects and purposes of the invention have been met by securing a collar on the individual braking legs, namely, in the region where the one wire segment which extends in the longitudinal direction of the pedal transfers over into the other wire segment which extends also in the longitudinal direction of the ski, which collar slidingly engages with its outer surface areas a ski binding part during the swing or pivoting of the ski brake from the fully retracted position into the braking position.
The inventive measure produces a kind of a rigid control, which transmits the force of the existing erecting spring of the ski brake also onto the two braking legs of said ski brake, which spring force is fully sufficient to permit the braking action to also be effective against large masses of snow.
Swiss Pat. No. 229 624 discloses a climbing mechanism, which can be swung by the force of a spring from a locked position (retracted position) into an effective position (climbing position), wherein the existing climbing plates, acting through a stop, roll along individually during the swinging of the climbing mechanism from the effective position on the running surface of the ski into the retracted position on the two side surfaces of the ski to move the two plates into a position which lies parallel to the two side surfaces of the ski. The two plates, however, are in the effective position turned out exclusively by the resistance of the snow, which method of operation, as was above described, cannot be realized in the case of the subject matter of the invention. Rather the necessity exists to act against the resistance of the masses of snow.
Austrian Pat. No. 305 844 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,126) describes a ski brake, in which the two braking legs lie in the retracted position of the ski brake above the upper surface of the ski and between the two side surfaces of the ski. Guide shoes are provided on the base plate of said ski brake for rotating the individual braking legs, which guide shoes are sloped outwardly and bring about, cooperating with also sloped inner surfaces of the individual braking legs, the start of the already mentioned swinging or rotating movement. However, in this conventional construction, it is necessary to use either a base plate which is as long as the length of the two braking legs, which circumstance as is known can have disadvantageous consequences because of the necessary bending of the ski and furthermore requires a number of fastening screws, which number is higher compared with short base plates. If the mentioned guide shoes are secured separately to the upper surface of the ski, then additional screws are used which bring about a further weakening of the ski member.
Compared with this and in the case of the inventive solution, a separate structural part to increase the capability of swing of the individual braking legs is not necessary, rather the entire ski brake can be mounted in a direct vicinity of a ski binding, so that, as was inventively suggested, a rigid control can take place through an existing ski binding part.
A particularly preferable embodiment of the invention is seen in the ski binding part, along which a collar on each braking leg rolls, being formed by the base plate which is movable on the guide rail of the ski binding in the longitudinal direction of the ski and/or by a holding plate of the ski brake, which holding plate is connected preferably releasably with the base plate. This measure facilitates a dimensioning of the collar of the individual braking legs to the ski binding associated with the ski brake.
A further embodiment of the invention consists in the collar being constructed out of the material of the individual braking legs itself in the form of a bent segment. In this manner, a separately manufactured collar is not needed, which collar is to be mounted on the individual braking mandrels and is secured to same.
In spite of this, it may be preferable if the collar inventively consists of a material which can be worked easier compared with the material of the braking leg, for example of a plastic material. In this case, it is possible to adjust a factory-new ski brake during installation to differently designed ski binding parts or their base plates.
A still further embodiment of the invention consists of providing in the region of the wire segment of the individual braking legs located adjacent the ski binding part, which region serves as a rolling surface, a camlike curvature which rests on said rolling surface. This design is preferable if the ski brake, produced in a factory with a certain ski binding part, is used.
The invention relates furthermore to a ski brake of the above-mentioned type which is characterized by the erecting spring being supported with its two free ends in the support plate, wherein the swivel axis of the pivotal braking mechanism of the ski brake is formed by the two bent free ends of the erecting spring. This measure permits an omission of the use of separate bearing points for the pivot axis of the ski brake, so that the number of the structural parts which are exposed to wear can be reduced. Furthermore, this embodiment has the advantage that the structural height of the entire ski brake can be reduced.
Further inventive characteristics of this development result from the now following description and the associated drawings.
Both here and also in the following detailed description of the invention, the collective term "braking mechanism" is to mean those structural parts of the ski brake which effectively change their position during the performance of the braking process.